Reflections of an Art Student (2 of 4)
It wasn't until three or four years ago that it occurred to me that people might not think of a degree in art as much of an accomplishment. I was having a conversation with a friend whose child was choosing to get a bachelor of arts degree and she asked me if I ever felt judged for only having a degree in the arts.
Now, I'm not going to say that I was unaware of people in college who dismissed the arts and, by extension, the study of them. But I really never thought that attitude would find footing after I left the sheltered halls of collegiate life. Let's face it, though the college experience can be mind expanding, you're still dealing with a very young adult community that has extremely limited real life experience. One might expect more of people once they are exposed to the "real world".
As for me, I always assumed that everyone who took the time to study any subject was really only following their strongest inclinations which outweighed other interests and supported their natural strengths. This did not mean that they didn't have strengths and talents in many areas, it just meant their chosen profession had the strongest pull in determining their future paths.
In college, everyone is learning to learn, when you get right down to it. Hopefully, this sets us up to explore all the areas we may have put on hold to follow our first love. If we're really lucky, we have many opportunities to develop those other interests and they all add to a very enriching life.
A page from my travel sketchbook
It wasn't until three or four years ago that it occurred to me that people might not think of a degree in art as much of an accomplishment. I was having a conversation with a friend whose child was choosing to get a bachelor of arts degree and she asked me if I ever felt judged for only having a degree in the arts.
Now, I'm not going to say that I was unaware of people in college who dismissed the arts and, by extension, the study of them. But I really never thought that attitude would find footing after I left the sheltered halls of collegiate life. Let's face it, though the college experience can be mind expanding, you're still dealing with a very young adult community that has extremely limited real life experience. One might expect more of people once they are exposed to the "real world".
As for me, I always assumed that everyone who took the time to study any subject was really only following their strongest inclinations which outweighed other interests and supported their natural strengths. This did not mean that they didn't have strengths and talents in many areas, it just meant their chosen profession had the strongest pull in determining their future paths.
In college, everyone is learning to learn, when you get right down to it. Hopefully, this sets us up to explore all the areas we may have put on hold to follow our first love. If we're really lucky, we have many opportunities to develop those other interests and they all add to a very enriching life.
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